El Rancho Grande

Great Mexican can be hard to find. West Providence boasts a large central American population. El Rancho Grande is a culinary gem in this ethnic neighborhood. Inside, it reminds you of a Grandmother's kitchen, simple yet cozy. Since Chef Maria is a grandmotherly figure, the environment worked. Parking was the only issue, though we parked across the street in the Walgreens' parking lot.

Me and my wife sat down for a nice mid-afternoon dinner. We started with the complimentary basket of chips and salsa. Normally, you get jarred salsa and stale chips, but El Rancho Grande provided delicious fresh corn chips and a fresh, tasty salsa. Both made a great start to the meal. Next followed a normal salad of lettuce, onion, and tomato.

We then enjoyed the chicken quesadilla for the appetizer. Chef Maria stuffed it with shredded chicken, cojito and mozzarella cheese. A nice pico de gallo (very fresh salsa with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro) accompanied an interesting cream sauce to make an enjoyable course.

Our entrees came out with a nice stack of fresh corn tortillas. My wife ordered the carne asada, thin-sliced sirloin wonderfully seasoned and very tender. I order one of Maria's specialties, her Pollo al Guajillo (Chicken in a pepper sauce). The chicken, also thin-sliced, mixed perfectly with the rich red sauce. The chicken went perfectly in the corn tortilla with the lime-marinated radishes and onions. Both meals came with rice and beans. My wife really enjoyed the flavored rice and I enjoyed the refried beans (topped with more of the delicious cojito cheese).

Everything was wonderful and delicious. El Rancho Grande served one of my favorite Mexican meals I have had. Often Mexican served tastes more like it should have come out of a Taco Bell (and often, Taco Bell is tastier). Chef Maria, que delicioso! El Rancho Grande has a full website including directions and their menu.



Rating: A

Spike's Junkyard Dogs

Hot Dogs are quickly becoming 'real food' to true connoisseurs. Many long scoffed at hot dogs for poor ingredients and simple toppings. Newer breeds have higher quality meat and better toppings on actual rolls. That's not to say a good old-fashioned hot dog with a shot of mustard, but everyone wants a high quality hot dog for a meal. I previously reviewed Larry Joe's Fire pit, arguably one of the best hot dogs in the north east. Spike's Junkyard Dogs have taken the title of best chain hot dog.

I stopped into the North Providence shop. Despite the name (Junkyards aren't haute couture), everything was clean. I ordered a Chili & Cheddar along with a Ball Park Dog. The Chili and Cheddar was topped with... well Chili and Cheddar. The Chili was tasty, but had too many beans, while cheese was a nice layer of melted Vermont cheddar. The Ball Park dog featured a normal mustard, nice fresh chopped onions (I noticed a large bag hanging in the kitchen), and another layer of the nice cheddar. Both featured a nicely baked bun that was anything but generic, while the dog itself tasted like a Kayem. A nice little meal of two of my favorite Dogs, and I was pleased.

Spikes offered nice bread, toppings, and a clean interior. The chili was rather normal, and the hot dog tasted generic. The price, while cheap, did not inspire me to spend more for otherwise decent hot dogs.

Spike's menu and locations can be found on their website.



Rating: B

North End Treats

Caution, this review only covers the desert selections from North End Treats.

Famous for offering authentic North End fare outside of Boston, North End Treats holds to a prestigious tradition. It's located right off of the Massachusetts Turnpike, an unassuming location with wonderful access for all of New England. Does the ugly duckling have a heart of gold?

Yes. The deserts were perfect. We first tried their canolis, stuffed with a less-than-traditional chocolate filling. Everything about it was perfect, golden pasty, perfectly sugared, and a filling that made me believe in love again. I would not turn down a box of these delights.

Next, we tried their chocolate cupcake. The ganache was a bit sugary, however the cake itself held a wonderfully deep cocoa-flavor. It created a nice balance when consumed together. The nonpareils on top just made for a fun eating experience.

Finally, we tried their medium Whoopie pie. We were served something the size of a cheeseburger. The cake, similar to that in the cupcake, blended perfectly with the fresh whipped cream. The whipped cream, by itself, was a tad sweet. Combined with the cake, the Whoopie pie put all others to shame.

North End Treats has a full bakery and a deli with a brick oven pizzeria. They have a full website.



Rating: A

Sichuan Gourmet

When one wants delicious Chinese food, often it can be hard to scratch the itch. Sometimes the food is too greasy, other times it is not very flavorful. The nice flavors often found in good Chinese food can often be difficult to locate.

Framingham hosts a quiet little Chinese restaurant off of route 9 named Sichuan Gourmet. It overlooks the crowded route, yet hosts delicious food from the Sichuan region. Translation; it's spicy!

This is a warning, because from the very beginning your taste buds will have to battle with the heat. They placed down at the beginning of the meal some nice ice water, oolong tea, and a small bowl of cured vegetables. The carrot pieces and broccoli stems looked tasty in their spicy oil. It was delicious, but dangerous. The Epicurean's throat was ripped apart from the intense heat. This sounds like a bad thing, but it wasn't.

The tradition continued with their Wonton soup, which held an influence of the spicy peppercorn. Wilted inside, leaves of spinach decorated the family-size bowl. My wife also ordered a bowl of their egg drop soup, something to which she proclaimed was one of the best servings she had ever experienced. The egg drop soup was not flavored with the spicy peppercorns, giving it a rich flavor.

The entree, chicken lo mein, was perfect. When we walked in we spotted several women manufacturing homemade egg noodles, so we decided we had to try them. It was well worth it. The lo mein (a Vietnamese dish, though this noddle entree tasty very Chinese) featured tender chicken and perfectly cooked julienned vegetables. Everything served tasted wonderful.

We only found out after we could have ordered the food not so spicy, but the heat did not detract from the flavor. Sichuan Gourmet has two locations, we visited the one in Framingham. They have a full website with all their information.



Rating: A-

Quebrada Baking Company

The Quebrada Baking Company is situated on Route 16 n Wellesley. Located within a very crowded plaza, the bakery and cafe welcomes the participants with a warm atmosphere and a busy counter. The interior is nothing special, with the bakery cases oddly arranged without showing the full selection of products to those entering.

Me and my wife ordered a small snack to test their baking skills and how they handle the cafe aspect. We each had a mini-cupcake. My wife ordered a double chocolate cupcake (topped with a Hersey's kiss) and I ordered the cappuccino cupcake. The cupcakes each had a tasty topping; the chocolate a tasty ganache and the cappuccino a espresso-flavored butter cream. Each fit the rich chocolate cupcake base and offered a different and pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, the hot chocolate we ordered with the meal did not feature the same rich taste. It was watery and not very chocolaty, instead tasting like a cocoa-flavored steamed milk. It did not compliment the baked goods, instead ruining an otherwise delicious snack. It did not inspire me to try their coffee.

Quebrada is situated in historic Wellesley. They have a full website with all the bakery's information.



Rating: B

Caffe Dolce Vita

Caffe Dolce Vita remains a mainstay in Federal Hill's De Pasquale plaza. The caffe, attached to the Hotel Dolce Vita. Recently, the caffe offers price fixed lunches and dinners. Me and my wife decided to try out the caffe one cold January morning.

My meal consisted of the fruit salad (part 1 of a 3 course meal), which was simple with melon, pineapple and an orange imperial. Not too bad, but rather plain. I then enjoyed the lunch-serving of their pasta primavera (longing for spring). It was quite delicious. They cooked the penne perfectly, expertly sauteed the vegetables and brought it together in a lovely butter and wine sauce. Even my wife, who normally hates pasta primavera, picked the penne up for delicious consumption. I then finished with a desert course, but more on that later.

My wife enjoyed the salad, a selection of greens, tomatoes, and thinly sliced onions tossed in a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. Much better than the fruit salad. She then enjoyed their 'Philly Cheese Steak'. The waiter served a fresh Italian roll packed with perfectly cooked rib eye and American cheese. She finished with the same desert I did, chocolate gelato.

Caffe Dolce Vita served a perfect gelato in a plastic martini glass. While it was served with a plain and generic whipped cream (other locations serve only fresh whipped cream), the gelato held a rich cocoa flavor that made fudsicles cry at their inadequacy.

Everything tasted wonderful, with the 'bad parts' still being delicious. Visit caffe Dolce Vita on Federal Hill if you want to try a delicious meal.



Rating: A

Athena's

Nestled in downtown Cranston, Athena's stands out with the egg as part of the logo. Sometimes patrons are afraid of breakfast joints located in stripmalls. This should not be one of those times. When looking for a good breakfast, those places produce the best food. Athena's continued that tradition.

Farm fresh eggs, savory and crispy hashbrowns, and delicious bacon made the meal. Crispy Italian bread toast complimented the big three with a meal that was fit for a goddess. The food came out quick and everything was perfect. Me and my wife wanted to order a delicious looking fruit cup (spotted at another table), but our stomachs would not allow it. The best part? The bacon. I normally hate bacon, yet Athena's serves the best bacon I have ever tasted.

The interior was clean, though it looked a bit rough. The service was excellent with easy parking. Everything fit perfectly and created a memorable breakfast. We will return to try some other dishes, including a tasty looking pancake dish served with nutella spread and chopped, roasted hazel nuts. We also still want that fruit salad.



Rating: A+

5 Guys Burgers and Fries

I was actually in Miami the first time I ever saw a sign for the 5-Guys Burgers and Fries franchise. The chain is nationwide, yet it is also critically acclaimed for fresh food and clean surroundings. The burger-joint started with an open kitchen and clean interior. 5 Guys does not skimp on this, featuring the cleanest bathroom I've ever seen in a fast food restaurant.

The menu remains simple; burgers, fries, and hot dogs. The portions are generous for a cheap price. Every location also offers free peanuts (because everything fried is done so in peanut oil).

The burgers are freshly cooked and made of high quality beef. The buns are so-so, but 5 Guys offers a generous amount of free toppings (except cheese :( ). They were nicely griddled, but I'm more accustomed to eating freshly grilled burgers. Still, the portion was nice and a regular burger (with 2 patties) easily satisfies.

5 Guys is famous for their freshly cooked french fries. Every order is served in a bag with the fries overflowing. They fresh idaho spuds have a clean taste because of the peanut oil. I haven't tried the optional 'cajun spice', but they could only make the meal tastier.

5 Guys and Fries produces a better bag of french fries than a burger, but the burger is still good for the price. There's definately worse food to eat, but a bag of fries are just good walking around food when trekking around the massive Patriot Place complex. I would prefer grilled burgers and perhaps cheaper cheese, but then I get so many other vegetables on my burger I suppose it does not matter.



Rating: B

Dave & Busters

Arcades have died out in American culture. The surviving entertainment complexes have required an extra gimmick. Dave & Busters (named after the chain's owners) offer American food with an open bar and full arcade to pull in customers. Yes, the food is similar to that of the other big chains, yet the draw of playing skeeball or a racing game draw in the customers. The customers are not just children.

The interior resembles a bar from the early twentieth century. The entire complex is well planned with restrooms and easy access to food and drink. It would be easy to rate the entertainment portion (including karaoke, virtual golf, many pool tables, and yes many arcade and video games), but the food is what I was after.

They offer the same medium-fare found at other chains (you know the ones), but many of the meals include credits to play their video games. This is seductive, but how does the food they offer with this combination stand up?

Prior to the meal, 'Philly-cheese-steak' eggrolls arrived. They served a basic deep fried eggroll filled with tender shaved steak and a light cheese. A cheese-dipping sauce accompanied the appetizer with a light garnish of diced tomatoes and pickled banana peppers. The eggrolls were tender and flavorful; a nice opener.0

One such entree is their grilled salmon fillet with citrus rice and sauteed haricot vert. The fillet was a nice portion and perfectly cooked (something some ocean-side restaurants often mess up with grilling). The sides were decent, though they provided a nice contrast to the salmon's flavors.

Another entree featured a nice sirloin steak with a loaded mashed potato. This is a common meal and there was nothing exceptional about it. The steak was a nice cut (though Outback still wins for best chain-restaurant steaks) and was cooked to temperature. The potato was basic, providing a good carbohydrate boost for later playing.

Desert was unique with a fondue sampler. It was nice to receive one of these with actual melted chocolate and a small tea light to maintain a nice warmth. Alongside the selection were sliced strawberries and bananas, pound cake, small brownie chunks and rice crispy treats. Not as good as Melting Pot's fondue, but Dave & Busters produced a nice desert for a romantic meal.

Dave & Busters is a venue best saved for adventurous dates filled with fun and games. The food is good for what it is, something other restaurants without pinball can often fail at. It produces a good date venue capable of entertaining children or breaking the ice on a blind date.



Rating: B

Faial Restaurant and Lounge

Rhode Island maintains a large Portuguese population. This population influences the Rhode Island culinary scene with rich seafood flavors and bold use of spices. Finding a good restaurant serving authentic Portuguese food can be a trip into wonderful flavors. Faial in Smithfield boasts authentic Portuguese flavors with an American influence. Their menu boasts a heavy influence of seafood and a healthy amount of 'Faial sauce' (a spicy and garlicky sauce they serve with almost everything on the menu).

The restaurant's interior was very nice. It boasted a classic American design with some 'under-water' themes spread throughout. The waiters wore crisp white and blacks and each table featured similar dressing. The restrooms were also clean, giving an inviting dining room and attached lounge.

The biggest fault to our meal was service. The waiter just seemed a tad antagonistic and did not give an air of professionalism that an establishment like Faial would convey. Long wait times also complicated things. The service hurt a meal that was otherwise nice.

I ordered the 'bief di casa' (beef of the house), which was a 14 ounce sirloin topped with the Faial sauce and served with their seafood rice (a mix of paella and rice pilaf) and Portuguese potatoes (fresh cut potato chips). The sirloin was well cooked and the flavors mixed well. My wife ordered a more American filet minion with mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. The beef was unfortunately overcooked. She ordered medium and it came out close to well done, a travesty. The sides were decent, but it could not make up for overcooked protein.

Faial produced a nice meal, but not worth the price (over 20 dollars an entree). The service also hurt the experience.



Rating: B -

Wild Fire

In the western reaches of Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence sits a gourmet Italian bistro. Wild Fire serves fresh wood-oven pizza, pastas, and they have a full bar. The restaurant celebrates several specials to entice quicker visits. Every Sunday they offer an Italian Chicken dinner. Every Monday, it's all-you-can-eat pasta. Every Tuesday all large Pizzas are half-off. The weekdays have happy-hour specials from 4pm to 6pm featuring a cheap menu.

Inside, Wild Fire features dark woods and impressive lighting. The dim surroundings do not betray uncleanliness. The interior possessed a pleasant atmosphere. A pleasant hostess greeted us and sat us at a lovely table. We were quickly served with excellent service and were presented a wonderful meal.

The best indicator of pizza are the rolls served before the meal. Wild Fire served wood-fire baked rolls with lovely garlic-infused olive oil alongside dried pepper flakes and freshly grated parmigiana regiano cheese. This in itself provided a wonderful start for an early afternoon pizza.

A wonderfully cooked pizza emerged from the kitchen. The waitress suggested a wonderful chianti to complient the pizza. The 'Genoa' featured fresh sauce and buffalo mozzerela cheese topped with a fresh basil chiffonade, freshly cut Genoa salami, and shredded asiago cheese. Its flavors complimented everything wonderfully producing a pizza that cannot easily be topped. Everyone worked perfectly. Wild Fire is the perfect proof of why pizza should be cooked above fire.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal. Me and my wife look forward to returning for a more intense meal. Wildfire has a full website complete with menus.



Rating: A

Enn Special Event!

BLACK SUNDAY
November 29th 1pm-4pm

Open House at Enn, presenting a sampling of their food, wine, sake and beer menus. They ask that everyone please bring someone who hasn’t tried Enn.

Enn Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar is at 600 George Washington Hwy
Lincoln, RI 02865. Their phone number is (401) 333-0366, and their email is: sushi@ennri.com Enn's website for a full menu and other information.

The Burrito Company

When it comes to good Mexican, there's either American Mexican or authentic Mexican. Both are good when done well, and the Burrito Company does it right.

I first encountered the restaurant from a booth at a local festival. I ordered a simple chicken burrito, and I was shocked by the portion. Big burritos are becoming popular, but nothing ruins things like an untasty meal. The burrito was good with a flavorful (albeit not too Mexican flavored) shredded chicken, though it suffered from too-watery lettuce and plain tomatoes instead of a flavorful pico de gallo. This could be forgiven since the burrito was prepared outdoors. I decided to give the company a second chance.

The second time was the charm. I stopped in and ordered the rice and bean burrito. I was again blessed with a large burrito and a nice side of rice and refried beans. Both sides were good, but the burrito was much better than what I had before. The large amount of vegetables put a normal salad to shame, and the beans were highly tasty and rich.

The restaurant's interior was very clean and stylish, including a large 'tree' crafted out of wire and white Christmas lights. Parking was a tad odd, since I had to park in the hospital parking lot across the street. It's hard to enjoy a meal when you're unsure if your car will be towed. This is a peril when eating in a city, however.

The Burrito company is located on Cass Street in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Their website is: http://www.theburritoco.com/

Rating: B+

Teppanyaki Asian Cuisine

Situated in the Franklin Shopping Center is a small Japanese restaurant (featuring Chinese cuisine also) called Teppanyaki Asian Cuisine. The true name for flat-iron cooking (hibachi means something else), the interior looked like many other Benihana clones. The interior was also filled with Polaroids of previous customers enjoying themselves, a nice touch but an indicator this would not be gourmet cooking.

Me and my wife ordered the Bento. Mine was wonderful; delicious clear onion soup, nice onion-ginger sauteed chicken, and a selection of avocado and cucumber maki. My wife was less satisfied with hers. For one, they gave her Nigri Sushi instead of Sashimi. Easily fixed, except the waitress and Sushiya vanished. She enjoyed her soup, but the gyoza she ordered with the soup were undercooked and floating in an odd clear liquid. The gyoza also reminded me heavily of frozen dumplings I have bought at Trader Joes. Hmmm.0

Not bad, but could use some interior improvements and more cooking. There was some potential, but they overcharged for boring Japanese food. The sushi and soup were great, just everything else needed more work. I would maybe eat here again, but only if I heard things improved.



Rating: C+

Luxe Burger Bar

Luxe Burger Bar is a new Providence hot spot nestled on Memorial boulevard. The concept is an established American tradition, comfort food headlined by burgers, but the execution is nothing but professional. The interior is nice a modern, and the restaurant has a lovely outside seating.

Luxe serves various appetizers, hot dogs, a macaroni and cheese selection, and of course; Hamburgers. Hamburgers are the restaurants namesake and they celebrate them with a custom blend of Hereford cuts. The combination is wonderful and is perfectly seasoned and flavored. For anyone who has had Hereford beef, you'll taste the steak. To those who haven't had Hereford beef? GO GET SOME!

You build your burger using a pre-printed pad with the ingredients listed. Sure, they have some of their own custom selections, but making your own is so much better. The taste is marvelous. I ordered a Gold-label beef burger (their Hereford blend) on a wheat bun with Havarti cheese, baby spinach, caramelized onions, salsa, and guacamole. The combination was delicious! My wife ordered a plain Gold-label burger with American cheese on a sesame seed bun, though she ordered hers medium-well in opposition to my medium-rare. Her burger had a wonderful char that accented the cheese nicely. Also, with every burger comes a side of fries. I chose sweet potato while my wife picked Idaho potato. They were both delicious and we shared them with equal joy.

We ordered the cupcake duo for desert, and were surprised to have a rather good pastry. The duo consisted of a devils-food cake topped with an dulce-de-leche frosting, though it was more of a chocolate one. The other was a red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Both were decent and helped to close a wonderful dinner.

One downside is the addition of a 'Kobe Beef Burger', a trendy addition to many menus, but the idea of grinding the perfectly marbled steak created in the 'Kobe' style seems like a sin. Also, many restaurants and markets sell 'Kobe Hamburger' that is nothing more than regular hamburger with more fat.

Luxe has a wonderful website with plenty of information and a full menu. More information can be found at: http://www.luxeburgerbar.com/



Rating: A

Trattoria Romana Express

Settled across the street from the Lincoln mall sits the Trattoria Romana. This is not a review of the main restaurant, but the 'express' cafe next door. These have become popular with restaurants. They offer the same quality of food offered cheaper and quicker.

Me and my wife decided to eat here. We sat down at the small tables adjacent to the large deli case. This case was filled with pastries, Italian foods, and deli meats. The walls were covered with jars and bottles of various foods, giving the atmosphere of a true deli, even though this was more of a quick-eat cafe. They offer everything from a simple coffee to gourmet pastries and breakfast sandwiches.

The plate we ordered was nice meal. We ordered a simple cheese pizza for the meal. It was delicious, but lacking. The crust was perfect. The sauce, amazing. Our only problem was the cheese. It tasted more like microwave oven pizza cheese rather than real mozzarella. We looked at the menu again, and while the pepperoni offer 'authentic buffalo mozzarella', the cheese only listed 'shredded mozzarella cheese'. The cheeses tasted fine, but then they didn't taste good enough. I would have prefered the goey and stringy authentic mozzarella to a bagged cheese which left the pizza a little greasy. Next time we go, we're definately ordering a pepperoni pizza sans the little disks.

Trattoria Romana Express is located accross the street from the Lincoln RI. There is the main restaurant, but this reviewed the cafe. Both cater and offer a wide selection of food. http://www.trattoriaexpress.com/




Rating: B

Ice Cream Machine

Ice cream during summertime epitomizes comfort. The design and production of perfect ice cream is a difficult thing. We live in a society that produces Vanillin faux-vanilla Ice Cream smothered in cheap chocolate syrup. When you want a decent ice cream at home, you usually have to shell out more than it's worth for a pint. It never really fits summertime, enjoying the weather and beautiful nature of sunny New England.

The Ice Cream Machine, across from Diamond Hill Park, feels like it sits out of time. It could easily be there now during the iPod age as it was back in the 1970s. It's an outdoor stand with nice wooden picnic tables scattered throughout the property. It looks like every other ice cream stand seen on the various routes and roads throughout New England. To assume that, you should really stop at this one to find out it's a wrong assumption.

First, be prepared for a line wait, this occurs even though there are 4 lines. People know of this stand's quality and desire it so much, they are willing to wait; a good sign. This is complimented by the hand-written signs. Plain and amateurish? Nah, they put their energies else where. The ice cream flavor board is covered in over thirty falvors and varieties. Unfortunately I haven't tasted every flavor and variety, something I plan to fix within a couple of years.

Order whatever, especially since you can get free samples. My personal favorites are the Cinnamon (it tastes like cinnamon roll filling, delicious), peanut butter (so accurate you'd swear it should stick to the roof of your mouth), and the dulce de leche. My wife swears by their brownie batter, she hasn't ordered another flavor (though she loves to snag some bites from mine). They also sell cookies and brownies to enjoy with the treats, which are fresh baked and delicious.

One thing we have to try is their 'Diamond Hill Sundae', which for over 11 dollars should be an epic eat. Prices are reasonable, expensive than other stands but you do pay for quality. Two small cones (small is their label, you won't be left wanting) comes out to 8 dollars with tax. They offer either cones or bowls for the basic level, and produce some of the largest sundaes I've ever seen topped with a mountain of whipped cream. Enjoy a personal dish or share some, this stand will leave you wanting more.

The Ice Cream Machine has a wonderful website http://icecreampie.com/. Please remember they only take cash, and tip your server!



Rating: A

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Mexican fast food has a stigma in modern society. Many legends persist involving mystery meats to foodbourne illness to deter people from enjoying a quick taco. The modern fast food movement contains a restaurant to dispel all these myths and produce a high quality and delicious Mexican meal. That restaurant? Chipotle.

Inside, you are confronted with a modern White Castle layout; stainless-steel and an wide open kitchen. The menu is simple; a style (burrito, taco, soft taco, or rice bowl), a protein (chicken, beef, pork, or vegetarian), and then a topping bar including pico de gallo, authentic Mexican sour cream, and guacamole. Another feature that sets this restaurant apart from other chain Mexican restaurants, beer and margaritas. They also boast a large collection of authentic Tabasco sauce at the tables.

The food just tastes amazing, though be warned it is spicy. This is to be expected for a restaurant named after a smoked jalapeno. The flavors are all there. Their rice is cooked with cilantro and lime. Everything melds together to form a filling and relatively cheap Mexican meal.



Rating: B

Pastiche Cafe and Bakery

Consistently rated the top eatery in the Providence area, Pastiche retains that reputation through quality. Its unassuming location off Atwells hidden by the best parking area makes it easy to miss, but you shouldn't. Not now, not ever.

The dining room is a small and intimate one, but the service is exceptional. Me and my wife sat down and wanted a snack, which we soon discovered was impossible. We first ordered coffe, her a Latte Macchiato and I a cafe Americano. Both were wonderfully rich and perfectly prepared (too many people just mess up the finer coffees). The sizes were great compared to the price, especially considering other places would triple charge for a smaller portion.

We then ordered our 'snack', choosing summery dishes. I ordered a raspberry blueberry tart. When it came out, it looked like a great slice of blue berry pie topped with a single raspberry. I was concerned, until I saw the brilliant red swath of raspberry coolie. The tart shell was the best I've ever tasted, and the blueberrys sat atop a perfect custard, and I don't even like custard that much! The true star was the fruit, the blueberries were perfect, sweet and tart, plump and juicy. All together, it made me enjoy the summer.

My wife ordered a lemon velvet cake. What came out looked like a disk of sunshine next to a cloud of real whipped cream. We've been to very high-end bakeries and been served cool whip, so this was a very welcome surpise. On top of the zen-balance of lemon and cake was a small glaze, which just accentuated the lemon flavor. We ended up taking some of the raspberry coolie from mine and putting it ontop of the cake, something the waitress commented was a good idea. It totally was. After both offerings, we were too stuffed to try something else on the hill and retreated happy and full.

There was nothing wrong with anything at Pastiche. Both desserts were perfect. The coffees were perfect. The service was perfect. Please, visit this gem to experience true desserts. Pastiche has a website with all their information. http://www.pastichefinedesserts.com/pastiche/


Rating: A+

Beef Barn

The Beef Barn is a landmark to Northern New England Cuisine. This does not mean that it is necessarily good. For a quick bite to eat, it seemed like a good idea. Me and my wife ordered the sandwiches and immediately the dinning room felt dirty. We sat and noticed open wells of condiments. Not very sanitary.

Our food arrived, and it was nothing special. The roast beef was overcooked. The chew was tough also, and the stringiness left that horrid feeling inbetween the teeth. Because of this, the meal just never came together. The food was cheap, and others seemed to like their meals, but we did not.


http://www.thebeefbarn.com/



Rating: C-